Ash Dark as Night

Ash Dark as Night by Gary Phillips (2024) 295pp
You know you are getting older when you read historical fiction that you lived through. Phillips has set his novel in the heart of LA in 1965 in what has been deemed the Watts Riots. The protagonist, Harry Ingram, is in the middle of the action as the insurrection takes place and in his job as a lone African-American photojournalist he describes a variety of incidents, looting, burning and shooting, culminating in his photographing the murder by police of a young activist. On a personal note, I was a photojournalist in the 1970s and found myself in a few, albeit minor, civil disturbances similar to those described in the book, Phillips’ description of the mayhem and uncertainty reflects my experience. I remember the march of the police phalanx as it confronted “rioters” and the need to seek shelter as night fell and cars burned. One dubious detail is the description of photo equipment used by Ingram. I found it unlikely that he would use a large format press camera in a such a tense environment. In his defense though, he does use the sheet-film camera as a plot element in a true-to-life scenario. Following the riot, Ingram, after surviving a brutal beating, becomes involved in a noir mystery tracking down a missing person and unraveling a knot of corruption. Many characters are introduced, including his love interest, a no-nonsense woman with a number of secrets and a fascinating back story. This fictional re-telling of the infamous incident takes the point-of-view of the people living in the area and reflects a narrative untold in the main-stream media of the era.

Hotel Angeline

Hotel Angeline by Kathleen Alcalá, Matthew Amster-Burton, Kit Bakke, Erica Bauermeister, Sean Beaudoin, Dave Boling, Deb Caletti, Carol Cassella, William Dietrich, Robert Dugoni, Kevin Emerson, Karen Finneyfrock, Clyde Ford, Jamie Ford, Elizabeth George, Mary Guterson, Maria Dahvana Headley, Teri Hein, Stephanie Kallos, Erik Larson, David Lasky, Stacey Levine, Frances McCue, Jarret Middleton, Peter Mountford, Kevin O'Brien, Julia Quinn, Nancy Rawles, Suzanne Selfors, Jennie Shortridge, Ed Skoog, Garth Stein, Greg Stump, Indu Sundaresan, Craig Welch and Susan Wiggs. Foreword by Nancy Pearl. Introduction by Garth Stein 258 pp.

In 2011 the Seattle7Writers Project for Literacy concocted a scheme where 36 authors in the Pacific Northwest came together to write a novel on stage in one week. The result could have been a total mishmash, unreadable, and incomprehensible. Instead they created an intriguing story of a 14 year old girl who takes on adult responsibilities to keep the eclectic "family" of artists, anarchists, and eccentrics living in the run down Hotel Angeline safe and keep the hotel from being sold after her mother is no longer able to run it.  Every author added a new twist to the story while keeping it flowing, enjoyable, and interesting. I was totally absorbed by the story and would have listened to the whole audiobook at one sitting if I could.

Incidents Around the House

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, 367 pages

When Bela goes to bed at night, Other Mommy talks to her from the closet. This has been going on for years, but recently, Other Mommy has started venturing out from the closet and into Bela's room, and not always at night time. And now she's asked Bela if she'll let Other Mommy into her heart. Bela's not quite sure what to do, especially because her Mommy and Daddo have never really believed her when she's mentioned Other Mommy in the past.

I started reading this while in bed, before turning off the light to try to sleep. The active word there is "try," as this is a supremely creepy book, especially in the first 100 pages or so. Told from a child's point of view, and with very little description of Other Mommy, this ode to the monsters in our closets will make your own dark bedroom terrifying. It's fantastic for horror fans, but don't make my mistake — read it only during daylight hours!

When Harry Met Pablo

 

When Harry Met Pablo: Truman, Picasso, and the Cold War Politics of Modern Art by Matthew Algeo  256 pp.

From the time of the creation of "Modern Art" it has created controversy. Many spoke out against it calling it "garbage, untalented, ugly, subversive, and Communist." There were movements among the art world against it. There were also movements by government officials who came just short of wanting it banned. Harry Truman was admittedly one of those who didn't like it. But at least he agreed artists had the right to create what they pleased. After Truman was no longer in office, Alfred H. Barr, one of the founders of New York's MOMA managed to engineer a meeting between Truman and Picasso that included a photo op. It all took place during a tour of the Mediterranean by Harry & Bess Truman and his former advisor, Sam Rosenman, and his wife Dorothy. The President who was responsible for the use of the atomic bomb and the Communist artist who created the anti-war masterpiece Guernica had a amicable  meeting. Picasso showed the Trumans his studio and the pottery where he also created art. While there is no recordings of their conversations, it was a civil meeting. However, it didn't change Truman's opinion of Picasso's art. I listened to the audiobook which drove me slightly crazy because of mispronunciations of artist's names, locations, and other words that should have been corrected in editing. 

Dilla Time

 

Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip Hop Producer who reinvented Rhythm, by Dan Charnas, 460 pgs. 

I loved this book, it is so well-researched. I'd heard rumors of J Dilla's greatness and listened to his now iconic Donuts album, but really hadn't understood why he was held in such high esteem until now. This book goes into great detail about Dilla's life and influence on hip hop and rap that has made him a worldwide name for producing beats. I loved the second chapter, which delved into the history of Detroit, his hometown, and the off-kilter design of the street system, giving the reader a good touchstone for the way he made beats. There are also fun beat grid exerices for the reader to stomp and clap to, in order to help readers get a sense of the kind of timing Dilla was working from. So many albums I love from back in the day had his signature style on them, including artists like Common, Erykah Badu, D'angelo, Tribe Called Quest and so many more. His unique approach to timing and micro-rhythms helped usher in a new era of soul and R n' B. His life was tragically cut short by a gruesome blood disease that left him scrambling to produce and create as much music as he could before he passed away. The book goes into his legacy post-death, highlighting the many struggles of non-profits and agencies trying to celebrate J Dilla, while others try to make money off his name. His signature instrument, the AKAI MPC 3000 drum machine, now sits in on display in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in DC. The New York Times even released a short documentary called "The Legacy of J. Dilla" that is a great compendium to the book. Required reading for anyone interested in music, hip-hop or beat production.  

Standard Deviation

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny (2017) 319 pages

Graham Cavanaugh is approaching 60 years of age. He lives with his second wife, Audra (41), and their special-needs son, Matthew (10), who has Asperger's. Audra is a vibrant, extroverted woman, the kind who talks to everyone and overshares, but is well-meaning and sympathetic. 

The novel, told from Graham's point of view, shows their life as a never-ending chaos—Graham never knows how many people he is cooking dinner for (and what food aversions they have) or who is living in their den at the time. For a while they had a woman living with them while her husband was on sabbatical. They also hosted the doorman of their apartment building for a time. When Audra decides that they need to be friends with Graham's ex-wife, that adds an extra element of weirdness, since it was Graham's relationship with Audra that broke up his first marriage.

In addition to Audra, there is a whole quirky cast of characters, including the adults from the origami club that Matthew is allowed to join. The events that ensue are presented along with Graham's internal musings. Often humorous and sometimes sad but philosophical.

The Morningside

 The Morningside by Téa Obreht, 304 pages.

Fleeing from their disintegrating (at times literally) homeland, Silvia and her mother are placed by the Repopulation Program into The Morningside, a crumbling building that was once a luxury tower on an island being swallowed by the sea in a world profoundly impacted by climate change. Sil's Aunt Ena also lives in the tower as its super, and she teaches Sil all of the folklore of their homeland that her own mother won't. Silvia becomes convinced that the mysterious woman with her three huge dogs living on the top floor is really a malevolent entity, and her search to prove it will have dire consequences for her family.

This was such a weird, interesting book. It builds very slowly, and never really tells the reader what's real and what isn't. I found it very compelling, although hard to describe.